Neuropsychological Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of a person’s cognitive abilities. This includes an assessment of intellectual abilities and neuropsychological domains, such as language, memory, attention, and visual spatial functioning, to name a few.
The goal of neuropsychological testing is to clarify or establish a diagnosis related to neurological functioning and to assess the degree of impairment related to this cognitive dysfunction. Typically, neuropsychological assessment is recommended to adults when they are displaying cognitive problems which may relate to a neurological disorder, such as brain injury, a stroke, or dementia. Quite frequently, such evaluation is sought out to clarify a complicated psychiatric diagnosis or to understand a discrepancy between the person’s level of functioning and level of abilities and education.
Following the assessment, we produce a comprehensive report that details the cognitive profile and offers recommendations. These recommendations will include suggestions regarding compensatory strategies, resources, and, when applicable, opinions on whether the client can safely live independently.
Neuropsychological assessment is especially useful to people who have not been diagnosed with a neurological condition, but who feel that their cognitive functioning is not “as it should be” and interferes with their lives. For example, this type of evaluation may be helpful to someone who feels that they are smart and motivated, but have difficulties achieving their professional goals, or someone who feels that their memory has always been “bad”, or that there is “just something wrong” with them, and they don’t know what. A neuropsychological assessment is the most helpful in clarifying individual strengths and weaknesses, and coming up with ways to compensate for weaknesses with strengths.
Following the completion of the assessment, we provide clients with comprehensive written report, offering recommendations, coping strategies relevant to their profile, and referrals to other providers who may be helpful in improving their functioning. Since our staff is bilingual, we are also able to offer testing in Russian to clients who are not proficient in English.
